WS: Irwindale: Series race notes

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Oct 2, 2009, 4:41 PM

IRWINDALE, Calif. -- There's no place like home for Jason Bowles. The NASCAR Camping World Series West driver scored his third consecutive win before on his home track of Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on Saturday night. Bowles, who won two series ...

IRWINDALE, Calif. -- There's no place like home for Jason Bowles. The NASCAR Camping World Series West driver scored his third consecutive win before on his home track of Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on Saturday night.

Bowles, who won two series races at the half-mile track last year, led 132 of 200 laps before a capacity crowd en route to victory in the King Taco 200. He took over the lead in the championship standings with the win.

He crossed the finish line with a margin of victory of .450 seconds over Jeff Barkshire, who was the only other driver to lead a lap. Barkshire, running in only his second event of the season, was out front for 68 laps in the first half of the race. Once Bowles regained the lead, he was able to pace the field to the finish and Barkshire had to settle for the runner-up spot.

Series rookie Paulie Harraka took third in the race, to match a best finish from earlier in the season. He was followed by Patrick Long and Greg Pursley. Completing the top 10 were Eric Holmes, who led the championship standings coming into the event; David Mayhew; Blake Koch; Moses Smith; and Chris Johnson.

The win moved Bowles 24 points ahead of Holmes in the championship -- 1,364 to 1,340.